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Residents and planning adviser urge moratorium on data centers near Alexandria industrial park
Summary
Two public commenters urged Alexandria officials to pause approvals for data centers and study impacts such as water use, property values and noise; planning staff and commissioners agreed to research jurisdiction and options for a moratorium.
Two residents and a planning adviser urged Alexandria officials on June 22 to consider a moratorium on data centers near the citys industrial park, citing concerns about water use, energy demands and effects on property values.
Denise Spooner, a licensed real estate broker who said she is serving on a Madison County citizen subcommittee to draft data-center ordinance language, told the redevelopment commission that nearby jurisdictions have enacted temporary moratoria and that Alexandria should "put a pause on this until you the city of Alexandria can draft a proper ordinance to put this in place and that guides this development or whether or not they even want it." Spooner said moratoria allow time for research into viability, infrastructure needs and draft rules; she offered to provide sample ordinances and county materials.
Another commenter, who identified herself as Helen and said she is a real estate agent, warned that industrial zoning could allow a data center "to move right in" unless the city adds restrictions on water and energy use. She said residents worry such uses could "sue you and come in and do what they want," and asked whether the 400-acre and adjacent 550-acre parcels under discussion were on the commissions radar.
City staff and commissioners did not adopt an ordinance at the meeting but said they would look into jurisdictional questions and legal options. A staff member noted that the Madison County board had passed a moratorium and that the commission would need to verify whether unincorporated parcels in the industrial park fall under county restrictions. The record shows no formal vote to enact a local moratorium; commissioners asked staff and the city attorney to research the question and said the topic could return to a future agenda.
Why it matters: Data centers can have outsized demands on local water and power systems and, depending on zoning, may trigger different development rights. Petitioners and planning advisers said a temporary pause would give Alexandria time to assess impacts and draft local controls or a prohibition if the community decides that is appropriate.
Whats next: Staff committed to follow up with the city attorney and county offices to confirm whether county-level moratoria cover the industrial park, and the commission said it would consider the matter at a future meeting after staff reports.
